About St. Francis de Sales · Kilmarnock, Virginia
St. Francis de Sales is a Catholic parish in the small Northern Neck town of Kilmarnock, Virginia, serving over 400 families along the Rappahannock River in Lancaster County. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Arlington's Catholic presence in this rural corner of the Middle Peninsula, and it oversees St. Paul Mission in Hague (about 35 miles northwest, near the Potomac River). Currently led by Rev. Michael T. Orlowsky (with Parochial Vicar Rev. Andrew J. Heintz), the parish is known for its intimate setting, active lay ministries, and deep roots going back to the 19th-century chapels served from Fredericksburg.
- Established
- 1885 (chapel); 1966 (parish canonically established)
- Patron
- St. Francis de Sales (Bishop of Geneva; Doctor of the Church)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael T. Orlowsky
- Diocese
- Diocese of Arlington
Why belong here
St. Francis de Sales offers the rare gift of an intimate, small-town Catholic community in the Northern Neck, where parishioners know one another and ministries are personal. Despite its modest size — about 1,000 residents in Kilmarnock and roughly 400 parish families — the church hosts weekly Bible study, RCIA classes, a strong Knights of Columbus council, and the Women of St. Francis (whose signature tradition is delivering a traveling Virgin Mary statue to homes on request). The parish runs annual food drives that collect about 4,000 pounds of food for the community, a bereavement ministry that prepares meals for families in mourning, and a college-scholarship program funded by parishioner donations.
Mass times at St. Francis de Sales
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesdays at 12:00 PM (noon)
- Wednesdays at 6:00 PM
About St. Francis de Sales Parish
St. Francis de Sales is the Catholic parish serving Kilmarnock and the surrounding Northern Neck of Virginia. Chartered canonically in 1966 and today part of the Diocese of Arlington, the parish serves over 400 households at its East Church Street location and an additional 100 families at its mission church, St. Paul in Hague. The combined community numbers roughly 1,865 Catholics. Despite the rural setting — Kilmarnock itself has a population of only about 1,000 — the parish supports a full sacramental schedule and many lay-led ministries.
History of the Parish
Catholicism came to Virginia's Northern Neck in 1875 when Bishop James Gibbons surveyed Lancaster and Northumberland counties and found only two committed Catholic families — the Palmers in Kilmarnock and the Balls at Midway and Bayview — perhaps 25 Catholics in total across the two counties. On September 6, 1885, Bishop John J. Keane dedicated St. Francis Catholic Chapel, a small frame building described as standing 'near the spot where three Dominican Missionaries were martyred by the Indians.' Until 1915, priests traveled from Fredericksburg by Rappahannock steamship and were hosted by the Palmer family at their Irvington wharf landing. The present brick church was dedicated in 1956, the rectory was purchased across the street in 1960, and the parish was canonically established in 1966 — eight years before the Diocese of Arlington came into being.
- 1875 — Bishop James Gibbons surveys the Northern Neck for Catholic families.
- 1885 (Sept. 6) — Bishop John J. Keane dedicates St. Francis Catholic Chapel (the original frame structure, preserved as Palmer Hall).
- 1956 — Present brick church dedicated; membership ~100 families.
- 1960 — Rectory purchased across the street.
- 1966 — Parish canonically established.
- 1974 — Ground broken for de Sales Hall; parish placed under the newly created Diocese of Arlington.
- 2009 — Building purchased as CCD/religious education center.
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by its pastor of more than a decade, Rev. Michael T. Orlowsky, who was ordained in 1993 and had considered a career as an electrical engineer before entering seminary. He is assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Andrew J. Heintz.
- Rev. Michael T. Orlowsky, Pastor (ordained 1993; at St. Francis de Sales for 10+ years)
- Rev. Andrew J. Heintz, Parochial Vicar
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Francis de Sales centers on weekly Bible study, RCIA classes for adults preparing for initiation or reception into full communion, and the parish CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program for children, which has had its own dedicated building since 2009. AA meetings are also hosted on the parish grounds.
- Weekly Bible study
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- CCD — parish religious education program
- AA meetings (hosted at the parish)
Parish Ministries & Outreach
The parish has a notably active lay ministry program. Two anchor groups — the Knights of Columbus and the Women of St. Francis — drive much of parish life, supported by a bereavement ministry, regular food drives, and a parish-funded college-scholarship program. The Women of St. Francis are known around the Northern Neck for their traveling Virgin Mary statue, which is delivered to parishioners' homes on request.
- Knights of Columbus
- Women of St. Francis (traveling Virgin Mary statue delivered to homes)
- Bereavement ministry — meal preparation and support for families in mourning
- Annual food drives (~4,000 lbs of food collected yearly)
- Monthly food-pantry collection (last weekend of each month, in the church vestibule)
- College scholarship program funded by parish donations
St. Paul Mission, Hague
St. Francis de Sales is the mother church of St. Paul Mission in Hague, located about 35 miles to the northwest near the Potomac River. St. Paul serves roughly 100 families, and its pastoral care is provided through the parish clergy.
Buildings & Parish Grounds
The parish campus includes the present 1956 brick church, the historic 1885 frame chapel (now preserved as Palmer Hall), the rectory across East Church Street, de Sales Hall (built 1974), the CCD building (acquired 2009), and a small cemetery with dozens of graves behind the church. A stained-glass window of St. Francis de Sales adorns the choir loft.
- 1956 brick church
- 1885 frame chapel (Palmer Hall)
- Rectory (1960)
- de Sales Hall (1974)
- CCD building (2009)
- Parish cemetery behind church
Pastoral Boundaries
St. Francis de Sales holds one of the largest geographic pastoral territories in the Diocese of Arlington — all of Northumberland, Lancaster, and Richmond Counties, plus the portion of Westmoreland County lying east of a northeast/southwest line drawn through the town of Montross.
Getting Involved
New parishioners are welcomed by contacting the parish office at 804-435-1511 or emailing [email protected], or simply by visiting in person. The parish encourages newcomers to talk with parishioners already involved in a ministry of interest to understand the community and its culture. A Facebook page carries updates and online Mass options with Father Orlowsky.
- Phone: 804-435-1511
- Email: [email protected]
- Online Mass available via the parish Facebook page